1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the game of tennis, and more particularly to a novel tennis racquet provided with a double string bed having the string of the racquet substantially coplanar with the respective front and back faces of the frame head and incorporating a grommet insert for retaining the double string bed in place.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Conventional tennis racquets are provided with a single string bed of overlapped longitudinal and transverse strings stretched between and across the opening of the racquet frame head. With this conventional stringing arrangement, tennis balls striking the frame of the racquet cannot be returned with the accuracy normally obtainable where the tennis ball strikes the main portion of the string bed. In such instances, the tennis ball travels in an uncontrolled manner and at wide angles not intended by the player.
Some attempts have been made to avoid this problem by stringing the racquet head with a double string bed so that the frame head of the racquet is less exposed to impacting with the tennis ball. However, such prior attempts to provide a double string bed involved the drilling of holes through the frame itself or by employing a plurality of tubes into which the string was inserted as it passed through the frame. In other instances, additional clips, clamps and screws for retention have been used. However, the strings are not above the front and back surfaces of the racquet head so that accuracy is still seriously compromised. Such prior double string bed racquets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,443,575; 5,467,982; 5,192,072; 4,141,549 and 4,320,900. Still a further disclosure is included in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,822. All of the disclosures in these patents suffer from employment of tubes, holes in the frame or special retaining devices, and in most instances, the strings crossing the front and back faces of the frame are fully unexposed and non-coplanar with the surface of the faces. Also, problems have been encountered which deal with producing a one-piece frame with undercuts and grooves such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,822
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a tennis racquet provided with a double string bed wherein one bed is looped over the front face of the tennis racquet frame while the other string bed is looped over the rear or back face of the frame. It is best to have the ability to string the bed onto the frame head of the racquet without the use of tubes or holes so that the structural integrity of the frame head is not adversely affected. With such an arrangement, it is believed that maximum control of the tennis ball can be achieved even when the ball strikes the portion of the racquet adjacent the frame or the frame itself.
Furthermore, a need exists to produce a racquet frame that will accept a recessed grommet formed with a continuous groove having a plurality of spaced ledges and slots useful in stringing the bed. Placing such formations as an integral construction, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,822, raises difficulties in removal of a one-piece frame from a mold.